Title
1. Consider Finding that:
a. Emergency repairs are necessary to maintain service essential to the public health, safety or welfare at the Pajaro River Levee pursuant CEQA Guideline 15269(b); and
b. Specific actions are necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency at the Pajaro River Levee pursuant CEQA Guideline 15269(c).
2. Approving an Agreement with Don Chapin Company Inc. for an amount not to exceed $300,000, for emergency repair and protection of the Pajaro River Levee’s left bank; and
3. Authorizing the Interim General Manager to execute the Agreement with Don Chapin Company Inc., upon County Counsel review and approval of the Agreement.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
1. Find that:
a. Emergency repairs are necessary to maintain service essential to the public health, safety or welfare at the Pajaro River Levee pursuant CEQA Guideline 15269(b); and
b. Specific actions are necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency at Pajaro River Levee pursuant CEQA Guideline 15269(c).
2. Approve an Agreement with Don Chapin Company Inc. for an amount not to exceed $300,000, for emergency repair and protection of the Pajaro River Levee’s left bank; and
3. Authorize the Interim General Manager to execute the Agreement with Don Chapin Company Inc., upon County Counsel review and approval of the Agreement.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Storm events during January 2023 resulted in the Pajaro River experiencing high flows and high-water elevations within the river channel. The levee top and landside slope experienced erosion damage due to overtopping and piping of water through the levee at river mile 9.5. With the potential for additional large storm events this winter, additional high-water events in the river channel could further damage the levee from erosion leading to levee failure. Failure of the Pajaro River Levee’s left bank during high flows would lead to flooding of the Pajaro Community and surrounding area.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15269 (b) and (c) exempt projects that consist of:
(b) Emergency repairs to publicly or privately owned service facilities necessary to maintain service essential to the public health, safety or welfare. Emergency repairs include those that require a reasonable amount of planning to address an anticipated emergency.
(c) Specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency. This does not include long-term projects undertaken for the purpose of preventing or mitigating a situation that has a low probability of occurrence in the short-term, but this exclusion does not apply (i) if the anticipated period of time to conduct an environmental review of such a long-term project would create a risk to public health, safety or welfare, or (ii) if activities (such as fire or catastrophic risk mitigation or modifications to improve facility integrity) are proposed for existing facilities in response to an emergency at a similar existing facility.
Proceeding with emergency repair and protective measures for the Pajaro River Levee left bank will provide near term protection from high flow events and potential erosion of the levee roadway and slopes leading to a possible levee failure and flooding of the Pajaro Community. Specifically, these repairs and protective measures will include: removal of emergency measures installed including sandbag rings, emergency spillway and slope stability measures; repair of levee slopes and road surface destabilized due to erosion from high flow and emergency traffic during flood fights.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps, California Office Emergency Services (CalOES).
FINANCING:
On January 31, 2023, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved a short-term cash advance of $7 million for storm related expenses and repairs. Reimbursement of Agency expenses is being pursued from FEMA. Coordination with FEMA is ongoing as of this writing, and further details regarding FEMA reimbursement will be presented at the Board meeting.
Prepared by: Mark Foxworthy, Associate Water Resources Engineer, (831) 755-4860
Approved by: _________________________________________________
Lew Bauman, Interim General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachments:
1. Board Order